Supporters keep Travis parade afloat

It's no secret about how much work goes into planning a parade -- from scheduling the bands and marchers to securing the route.

But what the average paradegoer probably doesn't realize is that it takes just as much work to find the cash that keeps the parade afloat.

And no one knows better than the experts in Travis, who have been stepping off on the Fourth of July for 98 years now.

"Parades cost a lot more than people think," said Janice Blanchard, the event's chairwoman for the last nine years. "Our budget this year is about $53,000."

Of that amount, half is slated for entertainment alone, while the rest goes toward professional fees, rentals, contractors and advertising.

Mrs. Blanchard and the rest of the committee employ a variety of means to raise the needed capital, from door-to-door collections to informal telethons.

"The journal is our biggest fundraiser," the Travis native said. "Everyone that gives a donation is listed as a booster in the journal, whether it be Fred Cerullo (a former South Shore City Councilman who heads the Grand Central Partnership in Manhattan) who mails in a check every year or the person who lives around the block and gave five dollars."

Most spring for a little bit extra and take out space in the circular -- this year's is 140 pages and is the largest ever -- to advertise or just wish patriotic greetings, according to Mrs. Blanchard.

"Our projected income for this year is only $25,000," she said. "But that's because we can't include grants in our figures."

Those grants from elected officials and foundations prove to be the other major contribution, and the event already has commitments from state Senator Andrew Lanza, state Assemblyman Michael Cusick, City Councilman James Oddo and the Richmond County Savings Foundation.

Mrs. Blanchard, who says Borough President James Molinaro usually contributes every year too, hopes to have at least $27,000 of additional moneys through that process.

Unfortunately, the grant process is a difficult one and sometimes the donations take time to clear the proper channels.

"We just received a $3,500 grant last week for the 2007 parade," Mrs. Blanchard went on, adding that it does make for some creative financial juggling especially after being left with a $9,000 hole from last year.

"That's why it is always important that we have money left in the bank somehow at the end of July. We start booking bands in January, and that means mailing deposits."

Was it this complicated during the parade's fledgling stages? Not according to 90-year-old Jane Pecherski, who has been involved with the celebration since 1935.

"I was 18 years old and just finishing up high school when I first got involved with it," she said. "Back then it cost about a thousand dollars to put together. Two thousand tops."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's online inflation calculator, a thousand bucks in 1935 translates to roughly $15,800 in today's terms.

On the bright side for Ms. Pecherski, the extra funding has given her legs a bit of break.

"I marched a year ago. Now they give us something to drive in, thank god."